New: from this summer, Ploërmel will have its first whiskey from the distillery of Stéphane Kerdodé

produce good malt outside the borders of Ireland or Scotland, it’s a crazy bet that Stephane Kerdode is about to succeed Ploermel (Morbihan). At the gates of the RN24, the former co-director of the brasserie Lancelot transformed the Domaine de Ronsouze to establish his whiskey distillery.

Colossal construction site

The craftsmen are in working order, and a year right after the first blows of the digger, the man sees the end of the bottleneck. His tool is operational. Or almost. He who has eyes everywhere supervised the smallest details of this titanic construction site. “It’s a feat to have achieved it in the allotted time”, agrees the leader. He surrounded himself with mainly Breton companies to transform the old farmhouse without distorting it.

Near the three historic stone farmhouses, five buildings have risen from the ground. “We brew, we distill, we age and we assemble in Ploërmel”, summarizes in one go Stephane Kerdode. His whiskey will water the market without moderation from July, and the quadra has put the package to dig his furrow.

400,000 bottles of whiskey per year

Renovated, the central building now houses management and meeting rooms. The noble materials are legion and set the tone.

Behind the XXL windows of the neighboring building, the still room where the beverage is distilled 24 hours a day, five days a week. “Production started in January, our distillery is one of the most automated in France”, says the master of the place.

With this state-of-the-art equipment in the immediate vicinity of the brewing room and the fermentation tanks, the equivalent of 400,000 bottles of bourbon will be produced each year. But the key to whiskey lies in its ageing, and the first bottles are already five years old…

The adventure started on the sly at the gold mine in Roc-Saint-Andre – cradle of the brasserie Lancelot – until the born entrepreneur sells his shares to devote himself fully to this new market. A measured risk if we are to believe the person concerned.

“The French are the biggest consumers of whiskey in the world, it’s a growth segment. »

And the man closes the Roxédoise parenthesis, continuing around the owner. Two aging cellars “capable of storing 2,400 350-litre barrels” were also built at lightning speed. “We are preparing for the future,” he comments simply.

Guided tours every day this summer

The last farmhouse has been converted into a shop. And the entrepreneur has pushed the walls to add a projection room and a tasting area. Understand here, a place intended to receive the public.

We want to offer an immersive experience by partially revealing our manufacturing secrets. Three visits will be first

provided daily during the summer.

All that being said, Stéphane Kerdodé still maintains the mystery around his precious nectar. No question of inhaling the first vapors of Galaad before the gong, the man wants to strike a blow by revealing the fruit of his labor at the beginning of July.

The owner’s excitement is perceptible, and he has already announced that “all” of his first cuvée has been “sold in France to a network of wine merchants and café owners. »

Gin, vodka and rum made on site

The future of his single mat promises to be auspicious, but no truce for the builder. At the same time, it tackled the white spirits market with a peppermint liqueur, a gin, a wheat vodka, a white rum and the other amber.

Five drinks marketed for several weeks under the marque Speakeasyfrom the name of clandestine bars at the time of American prohibition.

We want to establish ourselves as a recognized operator in the world of spirits. ”

Stéphane Kerdodé has it under his belt, and gives himself the means to see his creations prove themselves in glass. And if strong alcohols were his new gold mine?

Distillery of the Mine d’Or, Domaine de Ronsouze, 56800 Ploërmel. Open Monday July 4, 2022, visits by reservation.

Was this article helpful to you? Know that you can follow Le Ploërmelais in the My News space. In one click, after registration, you will find all the news of your favorite cities and brands.

–